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Published on: January 17, 2019
Isolation and characterization of neural progenitor cells from post-mortem human cortex
Philip H Schwartz1, Peter J Bryant, Tannin J Fuja
1National Human Neural Stem Cell Resource, Children's Hospital of Orange County Research Institute, Orange, California 92868-3874, USA. pschwartz@choc.org
Post-mortem infant brain tissue yields viable neural progenitor cells. These cells exhibit multilineage potential, crucial for neural differentiation research and transplantation studies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Stem Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Post-mortem human brain tissue is a potential source of neural progenitor cells.
- Neural progenitor cells are valuable for research and therapeutic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize neural progenitor cells derived from post-mortem human cortical tissue.
- To assess their potential for multilineage differentiation and functional properties.
Main Methods:
- Culturing neural progenitor cells from infant cortical tissue.
- Characterization using immunocytochemistry, karyotyping, RT-PCR, flow cytometry, and electrophysiology.
- Time-lapse videomicrography to observe cell dynamics.
Main Results:
- Established five human neural progenitor cell cultures with normal karyotypes.
- Cells expressed neural stem cell markers (nestin, Sox2, CD133) and differentiated into neuronal and glial lineages.
- Differentiated neurons showed functional voltage-gated ion currents.
Conclusions:
- Post-mortem human brain tissue is a viable source of neural progenitor cells.
- These cells possess multilineage potential and functional characteristics suitable for research and transplantation.
- Further investigation into neural differentiation and transplantation is warranted.
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